Leer for annealing glassware



May 4, 1926. 1,583,046

H INGLE F in van tor A t tdrn 67 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 \QW m k W W mw m S mam @N Am W s H H. W. INGLE LEER FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE Filed March 31, 1925 R L n w W May 4 1926.

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1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 31 I W m v & e

Mingle m A itorney.

Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. INGLE, OF HLRTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HARTFORD-EMPIRE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LEER FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE.

Application filed March 31, 1925. Serial No. 19,613.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. INGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and 6 State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leon; for Annealing Glassware, of which the follow ing is a specification.

The invention relates to leers for anneal- 10 ing glassware, and it has particular relation to leers of the type in which the ware is transported through a tunnel by an endlcssconveyor and is subjected therein to varying tempcrature-environments.

Horetofore, the conveyors employed in leers of the type mentioned have generally embodied a pluralityof slats or pans of solid unyieldable metallic construction. By reason of the large amount of metal contained in a conveyor of this type, its heat capacity is very great therefore, such a conveyor not only requires large fuel consumption in applying suflicie-nt heat to the conveyor at the receiving end of the tunnel, to bring it up to a temperature where it will not check the ware when deposited thereon, but the conveyor gives up its heat so slowly during the cooling stages that a large quantity of heat is carried for a considerable distance through the tunnel, which interferes materially with the regulation of the temperature environment therein. Moreover, conveyors of this type are subject to considerable warping when exposed to continued changes in temperature, which distorts the ware-supporting surface of the conveyor tosuch an extent that ware cannot be easily placed thereon in an upright position and it frequently falls over and breaks during its passage through the tunnel.

The general object of the present invention is to overcome the difliculties hereinabove mentioned and to improve upon the efficiency of glass-annealin leers with respect to the conveyor whici transports the ware through the leer tunnel.

More specifically, the object of the invention to provide a leer of the tunnel type equipped with an endless conve or belt of low heat-capacity and preferab y of openwork structure, such as of woven wire fabric, to facilitate the exchange of heat between the conveyor and its environment and also between the wave and its environment, thereby not only reducing the amount of fuel consumed in bringing the conveyor up to the proper operating temperature, but miniinizing the difliculties encountered in securmg a. proper temperature gradient in the tunnel.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, I provide a leer having a floor of fiat metallic construction, which may constitute the upper Wall of flue which extends beneath the entire len th of the tunnel and through which prodiicts of combustion of controllable temperature are caused to flow, as disclosed in U. S. Patents No. 1,560,481 and No. 1,571,- 137, granted November 3, 1925, and January 26, 1926, respectively, to Hartford-Empire Company as the assignee of Vergil Mulholland. The leer is equipped with an endless conveyor of light openwork construction such as flexible woven wire fabric. The working strand of the conveyor traverses the tunnel, being supported therein through its length and breadth directly by the metallic floor of the tunnel, and the return strand of the conveyor returns beneath the tunnel to its receiving end.

The relatively small amount of metal employed in the construction of this conveyor, together with its openwork structure, insures a low heat capacity, a large heatradiating surface area in comparison with its mass, maximum radiation through the openings in the conveyor, and minimum contact With the ware.

The flexibility of the conveyor permits it to conform to the flat bottom of the tunnel at all times under the weight of the ware and eliminates warping and buckling, thereby providin a good surface on which ware may be easil placed and carried withoutfalling over and breaking.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is 9. dia rammatic side view of a leer embodying t e present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating one suitable form of conveyor belt of open woven wire construction;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a conveyor belt composed of alternate right and left hand woven sections;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the entrance or receivin end of the leer taken on the line 4-4 0 Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the conveyor driving mechanism at the delivery end of the leer, and

Fi 6 is a vertical transverse sectional viewthrough the leer taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the leer which I have shown as being equipped with an open-work conveyor, according to my invention, briefly comprises, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, an entrance or receiving section A; an exit or delivery section B; a plurality of intermediate sections 0; a tire box I), located beneath the receiving section A; a delivery table E, located at the exit end of the tunnel; an endless conveyor belt F, of flexible open wovcn wire fabric, the ware-bearing strand of which traverses the tunnel and the table E, and the idle strand of which returns to the receiving or hot end of the tunnel beneath the leer; and a conveyor-driving mechanism G.

The several sections of the leer are supported in end-to-end relation to form a tunnel, by suitable framework 1, and each comprises a bottom 2, side walls 3, and a top 4. The. bottom 2 of the receiving section A, and of several of the succeeding intermediate sections C, may be, as shown in Fig. 4, constructed of refractory material 5, which supports a series of metallic members 6 in spaced relation thereto to form heating flues 7 extending longitudinally beneath the entire length of the tunnel.

The leer is heated by a burner 8 which projects a flame through an opening 9 into a. combustion chamber 10 provided in the tire box D. As the products of combustion pass forwardly in the chamber 10 they are diluted, to lower their temperature, by air from the outer atmosphere, which is admitted through a. damper-controlled duct 11 provided in the bottom of the chamber. As the products of combustion emerge from the chamber 10 they encounter bafiles 12 and 13 around which they flow into a vertical flue ll which communicates at its upper end with the fine 7. The products of combustion are drawn throu h the fine 7 by an exhaust fan 15 which is mounted on an overhead frame structure 16 located adjacent to the exit. end of the tunnel, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1.

The temperature of the gases traversing the flue 7 may be controlled at will by admitting air from the outer atmosphere into these fines at intervals, through dampercontrolled openings 17 provided in the bottom of the leer.

According to my invention, as hereinbefore stated, the leer is equipped with an endless conveyor F of flexible open woven wire fabric (Fig. 2). The warebearing strand of this conveyor extends entirely through the tunnel and is supported, therein,

maintained at substantially the tempera-- ture of the tunnel during its travel therethrough, rather than at a lower temperature at the entrance end and at a higher temperature in the cooling zones of the tunnel, as has been the case in lcers as heretofore constructed.

The receiving table E consists of a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal bars or rails 18, only one of which is shown in side elevation in Fig. 1. These rails are supported at their forward ends by the frame of the section B of the lecr and at their rear ends by a frame 19 of the belt driving mechanism G. This table provides a support for the conveyor as it emerges from the tunnel bearing the annealed ware and permits a free circulation of air through the conveyor, in order to cool the ware sutlicicntly to be handled.

As best shown in Fig. 5 the conveyor, as it advances over the end of the receiving table E, passes over a roller 20 journalled in the frame 19, and thence forwardly and around a driving drum 21 which is mounted on a shaft 21 journalcd in the frame 1%). At the point where the conveyor leaves the drum 21, it. passes over and rearwardly around a roller 22 which is journalcd at its ends in slide blocks 23, mounted in ways 24. The drum 21 and the roller 22 are provided with resilient and anti-slipping coverings 25 and 26 respectively, composed of rubber or the like, so as to present a tractive surface to the conveyor and insure a positive driving contact therewith. The roller 22 is maintained in gripping contact with the conveyor F by jack screws 2? which are threaded into the ways 24 and which bear against the slide blocks 23.

The drum 21 and the roller 22 are rotated by a sprocket wheel 28, which is driven in any preferred manner. The sprocket wheel 28 is mounted on a shaft 29 which carries a worm 3O meshing with a worm wheel 31 carried by a shaft 32. A pinion 33 is also keyed to the shaft 32 and meshes with a gear wheel 34 mounted on a shaft 35. A pinion 36 is also keyed to the shaft 35 and meshes with a gear wheel 37 carried by the drum 21. The gear wheel 37 meshes with a gear wheel 38 on the roller 22'whereby both drum and roller are driven at the same peripheral speed.

Ill]

as being constructed of a woven fabric com- The conveyor F, after passing around the roller '22 passes forwardly and around an idle roller 39 and thence upwardly and over a roller 40 carried by the frame 19. The idle roller 39 is carried by arms 41 which are pivotally connected to a shaft 42 carried by the frame 19, and may be adjusted to take up any slack in the convcyor F, by means of adjustable rods 43.

After leaving the roller 40, the belt F passes forwardly beneath the leer and is supported at intervals by rollers 44 which are mounted on the frames of the several sections of the leer. At the forward or receiving end of the leer, thelower strand of the belt F is supported, as shown in Fig. 4, by a guideway or track 45 disposed beneath the fire box D. As the belt leaves this track, it passes around a roller 46 and upwardly parallel to the front end of the fire box and thence over a roller 47 and into the front end of the leer tunnel.

The fabric of the conveyor F is preferably constructed of interconnected wires 48, of approximately helical form, as best shown in Fig. 2. The adjacent hclixes in such construction, however, form a fabric having a diagonally ribbed surface, which causes a marked tendency for the conveyor to creep laterally through contact between the conveyor and the rollers or other support. This difficulty is avoided by constructing the conveyor of alternate sections -19 and 50 which are respectively woven from right and left-hand helixes (Fig. 3). By so doing, the tendency for one section to creep in one direction is opposed by the tendency of the adjacent section to creep in an opposite direction.

While I have shown the present conveyor posed of interconnected helixes, it will be obvious that the advantages of a light weight flexible conveyor of open structure may be obtained through the use of a different construction from that described.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described, has been selected by way of example only, and it is to be understood that various modifications may be employed in the fulfilling of the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A glass annealingleer comprising a tunnel having a heated floor, and an endless carrier having one side of its ware-bearing strand in direct contact with said floor and the other side thereof in direct contact with the ware.

2. A glass annealing leer comprising a tunnel, means for heating said tunnel from beneath, and an endless ware-conveyor of mesh fabric having its ware-bearing strand extending through the lower part of said tunnel and always parallel to the bottom thereof, the said conveyor having its idle or return strand disposed beneath said tunnel andbeneath the said heating means.

3, A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel. a heating flue extending longitudinally beneath the same, the upper Wall of said flue constituting the bottom Wall of said tunnel, and an endless belt of reticulated woven wire structure having the portion thereof that is within said tunnel supported entirely by the bottom of said tunnel, and heated by direct contact therewith, for conveying glassware through said tunnel in spaced relation with respect to the bottom portion thereof, to permit of free circulation of convection currents between the bottom of the ware and the bottom of said tunnel.

4. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel, a heating flue extending longitudinally beneath the same, the upper Wall of said flue constituting the bottom wall of said tunnel, and an endless belt of reticulated woven wire fabric extending entirely through said tunnel, the portion of said belt disposed within said tunnel being supported throughout its length and breadth by the bottom of said tunnel, said belt being flexible, both in longitudinal and lateral directions, to conform to the contour of the bottom of said tunnel, and being adapted to convey glassware through the tunnel in spaced relation with respect to the bottom thereof.

5. A. glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel. an endless carrier extending longitudinally therethrough, said carrier being of flexible woven wire construction and having symmetrical upper and lower surfaces, and a drum for driving said carrier arranged to have driving contact with the ware supporting surface of said carrier.

6. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel provided with a flat metallic bottom, and an endless conveyor of woven wire fabric having its ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by the flat bottom of said tunnel.

7. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel provided with a flat bottom, and an endless conveyor of flexible reticulated structure having its ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by the flat bottom of said tunnel.

8. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel provided with a Hat bottom, and an endless conveyor of reticulated woven wire structure having its ware-bearing strand extending through said channel and supported therein throughoutits length and breadth directly by the flat bottom of said tunnel.

9. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel provided with a flat bottom, and an endless conveyor constructed of spiral links loosely interconnected for independent horizontal movement under the action of heat, said conveyor having its ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by the flat bottom of said tunnel.

10. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a due extending beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperature-controlling medium, and an endless conveyor having its i ware bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its l( ngth and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

11. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a flue extending beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperatlire-controlling medi um, and an endless conveyor of flexibi u'oven wire fabric, having its ware-bearin strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

12. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a fine extending beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperature-controlling me dium, and an endless conveyor of reticulated woven Wire structure having its Ware-bear- 'ing strand extending through said tunnel.

and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

13. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a flue extending beneath said bottom, for the passage of a temperature-controlling medium, means for causing a flow of products of combustion through said flue, and an endless conveyor having its ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supporttherein throughout its length and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 28th day of hlarch, i925.

HENRY W. INGLE.

tunnel provided with a flat bottom, and an endless conveyor constructed of spiral links loosely interconnected for independent horizontal movement under the action of heat, said conveyor having its Ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by the fiat bottom of said tunnel.

10. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a flue extending beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperature-controlling medium, and an endless conveyor having its are bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its lingth and breadth directly by said metallic bottom. i

11. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a flue extending beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperatLire-controlling medium, and an endless conveyor of flexible woven wire fabric, having its ware-bearing Hrand extending through said tunnel and supported therein throughout its length anti breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

12. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel havin a metallic bottom and having a flue exten ing beneath said bottom for the passage of a temperature-controlling medium, and an endless conveyor of reticulated woven wire structure having its ware-bear- -ing strand extending through said tunnel,

and supported therein throughout its length and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

13. A glass-annealing leer comprising a tunnel having a metallic bottom and having a fine extending beneath said bottom, for the passage of a temperature-controlling medium, means for causing aflow of products of combustion through said flue,v and an endless conveyor having its Ware-bearing strand extending through said tunnel and supportul therein throughout its length and breadth directly by said metallic bottom.

Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 28th day of March, 1925.

HENRY W. INGLE.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,583,046,

granted May 4, 1926,

upon the application of Henry W. Ingle, of Hartford, Connecticut, for an improvement in. j requiring correction as follows: Page the comma and insert a period and for page, line 48, before the word to the word channel read tunnel and that the said with these corrections therein that in the Patent Oflioe.

Leers for Annealing Glassware, errors appear in the 1, line 21, after the wor the word therefore insert the word 2'8;

the same may conform to rint-ed specification great strike out read Therefore; same 3, line 127, claim 8, for Patent should be read the record of the case P Letters Signed and sealed this 22d day of June, A. D. 1926.

[SEALJ i M. J. MOORE, Actzng Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,583,046, granted May 4, 1926, upon the application of Henry \V. Ingle, of Hartford, Connecticut, for an improvement in Leers for Annealing Glassware, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 21, after the wor great strike out the comma and insert a period and for the word therefore read Therefore; same page, line 48, before the word. to insert the word is; page 3, line 12?, claim 8, for the word channel read tunnel; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Ofliee.

Signed and sealed this 22d day of June, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

